Best soil recommnedations

[dustydundee]

I'm growing in soil only at this stage, i'm not advanced enough for hydroponics right now. I have about 5-6 harvests under my belt, some turned out to be real good. i'm still trying to learn the best soil media to use, but my options are limited to a big box store in my town and some smaller shops, but I really don't know what to look for honestly as far as the best soil to use thats practical and I can find. I grow indoors in pots, need something that has better drainage then what some potting mix brands have. I've tried primarily MG potting soil. I can't make my own compost or do anything fancy like that, really looking to understand what my best options are for soil without getting very elaborate ( I mean if I have to buy 3 different bags of something to mix together, thats fine, but some of y'all get real carried away) any recommendations?

[NeonTofu]

First off, how much are you willing to spend for soil? If you can do $40 a bag, I'd certainly recommend Michigan Mix M3 soil (which is available via their website if you're unable to find it in store). While I will admit that I've only grown with it once, the results were fantastic. I had them in 3-gallon pots and they grew almost as big as me. All it needed was pH'd water and CalMag.

Nebula also has articles on soil via the main GWE page (https://www.growweedeasy.com/what-so...owing-cannabis & https://www.growweedeasy.com/organic-super-soil).

[9fingerleafs]

You can buy coco fiber/coir and general hydroponic nutrients online. What country are you in? Maybe just continent or whatever you are comfortable sharing. But mostly all over the world you can get the basic for coco grows. Easier and cheaper than soil

[Cali]

If all you are limited to is Big Box stores then there is nothing we can say that will give you more options lol. If you want to mix your own it’s easy and I don’t think it’s getting carried away. For example at Lowe’s you can buy 3.8 cubic foot bale of sphagnum peat Moss for about $15 but online or hydro shops you will pay about 4 times that amount if not more. I can advice you further but maybe you can be of more help yourself like for example how much soil do you need or want to mix? Example maybe you want 3- 5 gallon pots? Just asking so that I know what to recommend? The mix I use you just need Sphagnum peat Moss aeration rocks and compost. That makes your soil base then you just need 3 nutrients NPK (dry amendments) kelp Neem and crustacean meal. For your micronutrients just Gypsum, Basalt and oyster shell flour. That’s it. Half a cup of each NPK and 2 cups Basalt and one cup gypsum and one cup oyster shell flour per cubic foot. Hope that helps and is easy not overwhelming to you. As far as buying already mixed soil once again what is available to you? Let us know so we can say Yay or Nay on your options.

[Canuck147]

Stay away from Miracle-Gro products. I use Pro-Mix HP - high porosity- which means a good percentage of perlite.

[bboyfromwayback]

I used Fox Farm Ocean Forest for years with great results but since joining this forum I tried something new. Switched to CocoLoco about 4 grows ago and I’m still using it. I bought two big bags, roughly 30 gallons worth snd after each grow I dump the grow bags into a big plastic tub, dig all the plant matter out, mix it up and reuse. Works great and way cheaper than buying soil every couple months

[9fingerleafs]

Used to do that until I got pythium. Tiny roots remain and decompose over time. Also the air retention capability reduces drastically after a couple of grows. I’m back at use once and dump. 200liters a week of coco goes thru my garden

[bboyfromwayback]

That’s a lot of Coco lol

[9fingerleafs]

Last year I lost 40 plants to pythium, the economical loss was far greater than the 500 bucks it costs me to fill them with new coco. I’ve been getting creative in getting rid of the discarded coco. I’m terraforming the area surrounding my house tryin to even the ground and stop vegetation from taking over haha

[VertsMonts]

Can't go wrong with Fox Farm Happy Frog...cheap and available.

[dustydundee]

I've thought about that one. seems easy, priced comparitive to local potting soils. is it really any better than any other bag of potting soil though?

[VertsMonts]

Not sure about better, but we've always had very good luck with FFHF. We use it for every plant in the house but cannabis seems to respond well. None of my issues, and I have had plenty, were soil related as far as I know. I get it locally for like $13 a bag, which was enough for four, 5-gallon pots mixed with a bag of perlite.

[dustydundee]

i'm in the US. I grow in round plastic pots, 12" in diameter on top, about 10" tall, about 7" on the bottom. They hold about 10 qts of potting soil. I can grow to a good size with those. I grow anywhere from 4-8 plants at a time, so I need 40-80 quarts at a time. I'm just getting used to soil growing, i've come a long way. I just started a couple of years ago with no gardening experience. I use LEDs in grow tents that I'm able to maintain at good temps, typically in the upper 60s or lower 70s. I've had pretty good luck with the GH trio with calmag as the site recommends, just I think I'm not maximizing what I can do with proper soil selection and proper watering techniques.

I think my problem is that I've had a lot of luck with potting soils, but its all it is, luck. I feel I could be growing twice as much if I would just do the basics better which is why I'm here.

I'd like to understand what is the "preferred" soil solution by the growing community for a simple home grower like me. I'm willing to put in the time, but at the same time, I cant make my own composts like many people! i'm looking for a better soil solution then what I can buy at my big box store, all I've been doing is store bought potting mixes, and I think I'm ready to graduate to the next level, I realize its gonna be more work, but I'm just looking to understand what is the next level from where I'm at? Ideally something close to affordable as potting soil, but more importantly something is relatively difficult to screw up.. The other thing is, i'm pretty used to using the GH trio as my sole source of nutes with calmag, so I need to understand what I would have to change about my feeding? just looking for guidance to go further. I feel I got a good handle on lights, temps, nutes. all I'm missing is proper soils and watering techniques and then I can take over the world.......

[billyboy]

FFOF and a bag of perlite

[PLreef]

Im a fan of living soil. I tried FFOF, Nectar of the Gods and Pro mix. Had decent results with them but living soil takes the cake.

[dustydundee]

FFOF and a bag of perlite

i'm leaning in this direction. one of the foxfarm soils. why is Ocean forest better than happy frog, or vice versa.

[dustydundee]

good feedback. if you wait a month to feed with OF, how long do you wait to feed with happy frog?

[VertsMonts]

My sprouts go right from the paper towel into jiffy pods/solo cups full of FFHF and seem to thrive. I think FFOF is too strong for seedlings.

[jamesphoto]

Great question! That was the question I was looking for an answer to. I have used Happy Frog now for my first grow (which it's still my first grow) and my lone auto is growing just fine. Since this is my first grow I have nothing to compare it to. I think as a beginner I will just continue using HF until I see a reason to change.

[MeEasy]

Happy frog and ocean forest is close to the same mix but OF has added amendments (poops and shell n kelp powder) to feed your plants for awhile. Both are great mix and it depends on whether you are ok to let your plants start with the natural feeding provided by the OF or if you would rather from the beginning use your choice of different natural products or salt nutes then HF is the one you'll want.
personally I use HF and a premixed product that has organic amendments and little soil critters making it a living soil. With this stuff (earth dust) I reuse the same soil over n over just adding the earth dust and couple handfuls of perlite before starting the next grow

[dustydundee]

i'm thinking of trying OF and HF side by side to see. Can anyone say how long before feeding in HF vs OF? It was said above OF can go for a month, how long can HF go without feeding? As a side note, if I have seedlings side by side, one in HF and one in OF, what is the visual cue that the one in HF is ready for nutes while the one in OF is fine and dandy?

[MeEasy]

Before I switch to living I would use the fox farm trio and followed their feeding schedule, I stayed with hf so that I could follow it (O f would have been to hot). So I started feeding as soon as I saw the second set of multi fingerd leaves. That's when I consider a seedling changes to a veg plant

[VertsMonts]

I didn't feed my current seedlings in FFHF until day 20 (almost a week after transplanting into 5-gal) and they may have not needed it even then. They certainly didn't look deficient in any way. I'm on day 37 now, have only fed them twice (probably feed tomorrow) and they are growing like crazy. Obviously YMMV.

[HobbitGDF]

I also use "earth dust" base and boost. You can create a living soil in whatever soil you choose to use. You also can re use the soil, it makes it better. Just have to add more base. It's only water. No use for bottled nutrients. Just water. If you have inline water filter you dont even have to PH the water. It's great man. It's not that expensive.
I use FFOF and happy frog. I like FFOF. It is hot but if you add perlite its not to hot IMO
good luck.
You dont want to get any like miracle grow that releases nitrogen for months. Right guys? Idk personally but I think that's right.

[dustydundee]

vertsmonts, so I take that to mean you water once every 4 days or so in a 5 gal bucket, and feed every other watering?

[VertsMonts]

Yup, so far. I water based on feel but 4 days is how it's worked out. I'm feeding every other watering, starting with 1/4 strength and moved up to 1/2. They're growing really fast and seem thirstier so I will probably step up my watering to every 3 days...they feel dry today. It's also super dry here, we heat with wood and we lost power twice this week so the tent has been open a lot (to get some natural light), they're parched.